Thornbury – February 2018

We have previously diagnosed Bertie as a carrier of Von Willebrand Disease (VWD), which is a disease that affects clotting of the blood. VWD carriers rarely display full symptoms, but in rare cases can have issues with clotting. As a result, we have to take extra care when dealing with his treatment.

Bertie came to see us at the end of January after experiencing a sudden onset of illness. He had stopped eating, had a bloated abdomen and blood was present in his urine. He also appeared jaundiced. Our initial tests revealed that there were three main issues that Bertie was dealing with. These were gastric bloat, liver problems and a urinary tract infection. We placed Bertie on antibiotics and fluids to help rehydration and took him to surgery to deal with his bloat. During this surgery, we placed a gastric tube, which released a lot of gas from his stomach. Once he had recovered from this anaesthetic, Bertie already seemed much more comfortable than when he first came in.

The following day, we continued monitoring Bertie’s condition. He was still somewhat uncomfortable and had failed to pass any more urine, despite having a full bladder. Because of this, we placed a urinary catheter and flushed his bladder. The end of this flush produced a large amount of debris that was likely to have been causing an obstruction. A follow-up scan revealed that Bertie was far less gassy than the previous day and his liver appeared normal, which was a great sign. Over the next couple of days, Bertie’s jaundice reduced and he started to produce more normal coloured urine. He was now ready to go home.

Over the next week, Bertie continued to improve. A week later, we were delighted to see that his urine was almost back to normal and his blood tests showed levels that were returning towards their normal ranges. We are very happy to see Bertie looking so much better and think he is a worthy winner of our Pet of the Month award this month. Well done Bertie!

Thornbury – January 2018

Kenobi first came to see us at our Horsforth surgery in December. His owner was concerned that he seemed lethargic and was not eating very well. We took a blood sample which indicated a problem with Kenobi’s Liver. As a result, we referred him over to the hospital for further tests. Here, we performed an Abdominal scan to assist with his diagnosis. This scan revealed some abnormalities in his liver, gallbladder, stomach and small intestines. After further tests, we began to suspect that Kenobi was suffering from inflammatory bowel disease and triaditis. Triaditis is an inflammatory disease of the liver, pancreas and small intestine.

Diagnosis

At this stage Jonay, the vet in charge of Kenobi’s treatment, started him on some medication to treat the triaditis. We also prescribed some pain relief and appetite stimulants. Unfortunately, after a couple of days, Kenobi was still not eating well. He had also developed a high temperature, for which we prescribed some antibiotics. At this point, we made the decision to place a nasogastric feeding tube. This enabled the nursing staff to feed Kenobi a liquid recovery diet directly into his stomach. Kenobi received regular feeds over the next couple of days along with his supporting medication.

Going Home

After these first few days of nasogastric feeding, Kenobi began to eat by himself overnight. Unfortunately, he still seemed unhappy through the day and was becoming a little stressed. As a result, Jonay decided to try sending Kenobi home. Now that we had managed to stabilise Kenobi’s condition, there was a good chance that he would feel more comfortable at home, which may help his appetite to return.

After two days away, Kenobi’s owner reported that he had been eating very well. He also seemed a lot brighter and happier. As time has passed, Kenobi has improved and, after further testing, his blood results have returned to within normal ranges. After such a stressful time, we think Kenobi is a worthy winner of our Pet of the Month award. Well done Kenobi!

Thornbury – December 2017

This is 2.5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Belle, the Thornbury hospital Pet of the Month for December 2017.

Poor old Belle has been a regular visitor here at Yorkshire Vets over her short life. She has had issues with luxating patellas and, more recently, laryngeal problems, both of which have required surgery. Earlier this year, Belle began to show signs of neck pain. This type of pain is typical in dogs suffering from syringomyelia. This is a condition common among her breed, in which fluid cavities develop in the spinal chord near the brain. Initially, we were able to manage this pain with medication, but over time Belle began to have more off days, during which she appeared to be experiencing more pain.

Acupuncture

At this stage, we discussed increasing Belle’s medication. As an alternative, we also suggested that she undergo a number of acupuncture sessions with Emma, one of our vets. Acupuncture has many uses and can be very useful in controlling pain in animals (young and old cats, dogs and rabbits). Acupuncture releases natural opioids within the animal’s body, which helps to reduce pain. It can also be very useful in managing arthritic pain.

Since beginning Acupuncture with Emma, Belle has been doing really well. During her sessions, she is always an absolute star. She has become so comfortable with the treatment that she often falls asleep on the consult table while her needles are in place! Since starting her acupuncture sessions, Belle’s owners have noticed a massive improvement in her pain levels. While she still uses conventional medication alongside her acupuncture, she has become far more stable without the need for a dose increase. Despite her regular vet trips, Belle is always happy to come and visit us here at Thornbury. We think she is a superstar and a worthy winner of our Pet of the Month award this month. Well done Belle.

Thornbury – November 2017

Scud came to see us after developing a sudden lameness following a jump from a wall. On examination, we found that his left elbow was very painful and had a restricted range of movement. To properly diagnose the problem, we then admitted him for further assessment and x-rays. We also administered pain-killers to settle his pain.

X-rays

X-ray results showed that Scud had not broken anything, but had developed arthritis, with the worst affected joint being his right elbow. Unfortunately, Scud’s pain-killers were not having the desired effect, so he remained very uncomfortable. At this stage, we began to administer a continued infusion of several opiate drugs, which were to last for several days. Sadly, Scud remained very unwell and was refusing to eat.

Septic Arthritis

At this stage, we began to administer a long course of antibiotics, as we believed there was a possibility of septic arthritis in his joint. Septic arthritis is the bacterial infection of a joint, which is potentially fatal. Fortunately, Scud began to respond well to his antibiotics. Over the following days, with lots of love and TLC, we nursed him back to health. He even began to happily eat again. We were then able to slowly wean Scud off his strong painkillers, before sending him home to complete his recovery.

Scud’s first night at home.

Recovery

Over the following weeks, Scud continued his recovery. He has been attending hydrotherapy sessions, which can be beneficial for joint recovery and for arthritis. At his last visit, Scud was doing really well and we were able to advise a gradually increasing exercise schedule. Due to his painful hospital stay and continued treatment, we think Scud is a worthy winner of our Pet of the Month award. Well done Scud, we wish you well in your continued recovery.

Thornbury Hospital – October 2017

Liddie came to see us after being attacked by another dog. She had sustained a large wound to the side of her chest. We admitted her for surgery to suture the wound and place a drain to help with healing. As Liddie recovered well from her surgery, we were able to send her home the next day, with antibiotics and pain relief to keep her comfortable. Unfortunately, she then visited us a little sooner than expected, after chewing her drain out. Naughty Liddie! Continue reading… “Pet of the Month – Liddie”

Thornbury – September 2017

Taz came to see us in agony recently, due to a blocked bladder caused by urethral obstruction. This is usually caused by either a small “mucous plug”, a kidney stone, or severe muscle spasm. When this forms a complete blockage, the cat cannot empty their bladder and it becomes very enlarged and painful. This can then lead to acute kidney failure and dangerously high blood potassium levels, both of which are life-threatening.

Life-saving surgery

In Taz’s case, we were able to remove the blockage under general anaesthetic by carefully passing a catheter into his bladder. We then repeatedly flushed his bladder with saline to remove as much blood and debris as possible. This reduces the risk of further blockages. We then administered medication to reduce pain and muscle spasm of his urethra. We also kept him on intravenous fluids, to keep him hydrated and support his kidneys. During his recovery, we used blood testing to monitor his kidneys and electrolyte balance.

In order to fully monitor Taz during his recovery, he spent three nights in our hospital. During this time, we were able to continue his medication and monitor his urine levels. Urethral obstructions can, unfortunately, recur despite treatment and all cats that have had an episode of this problem are at risk of it happening again in future. Because of this, we had regular visits from Taz over the following weeks. This allowed us to closely monitor him for signs of recurrence. Taz is now doing very well and we have our fingers crossed that his bladder blockage will not return.

Taz was incredibly lucky to have been diagnosed and treated so quickly. This is largely thanks to the actions of his owners, as a quick response meant we could start life-saving treatment promptly. We think Taz is a worthy winner of our Pet of the Month award this month. Well done, Taz!

Thornbury – August 2017

This gorgeous girl is Mable, who is the Thornbury hospital Pet of the Month for August 2017.

Mable’s Story

Mable recently came to see us with a swollen face. This swelling had come on very suddenly, and her owner could not think of any incident that may have caused it. On closer examination, a small amount of bruising was visible on her gums. At this stage, there was some concern that Mable could possibly have an abscess in her gums, or possibly a foreign body from chewing something that may have broken up and become lodged in her mouth. After a lengthy discussion about the options for further investigation, Mable was given some medication to go home with. Continue reading… “Pet of the Month – Mable”

Thornbury – July 2017

Meet Humphrey the Bulldog, who is just 5 months old. Although still so young, he has become a regular visitor here at Thornbury.

Humphrey came to see us when he was only 3 months old after his owners noticed some issues with his breathing. He was showing increased effort when taking breaths, as well as snoring and extending his head while lying down. Sadly many Bulldogs have problems breathing, due to malformed airways. Because so many of the breed have this problem, many people have come to view snoring as normal. In fact, it is often a symptom of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome. This is also a common problem in other short faced breeds, such as French Bulldogs and Pugs.Continue reading… “Pet of the Month – Humphrey”